The Cleveland Cavaliers have the talent to look like a real threat. Right now, though, their image around the league is getting dragged in the opposite direction.
That became impossible to ignore after Cleveland blew a 29-point lead in a 114-106 loss to Philadelphia. ESPN’s Michael Wilbon responded by putting the Cavaliers at the top of his list of Eastern Conference teams he doesn’t trust once the playoffs start, and he questioned how a team that spent the offseason trying to fix its weak spots could still look so familiar in a bad way.
He wasn’t the only one saying it. On Shannon Sharpe’s Nightcap, former NBA star Joe Johnson also brushed off the collapse, pointing to Cleveland’s habit of giving away big leads.
That’s the part that should worry the Cavaliers most: when a team coughs up a 29-point edge, the story should be about the comeback. Instead, people around the game are treating it like something they saw coming.
That’s a brutal place for a team to land, especially with last season still fresh in memory. Cleveland gave up a 22-point fourth-quarter lead against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and New York went on to sweep them. Thursday’s loss brought that back in a hurry, because now every ugly finish seems to feed the same belief.
The Cavaliers can still pile up wins in the regular season. They can also post eye-catching scoring numbers and handle a lot of opponents without much trouble.
None of that really answers the biggest question, though. What happens when the other side turns up the pressure, tightens the screws and starts forcing Cleveland to solve problems in real time?
That’s why beating Brooklyn, Washington and other teams on the schedule won’t wash away the doubt. The questions Wilbon and Johnson raised are about something bigger than a box score. Cleveland has to show it can stay disciplined offensively when defenses get more aggressive, protect a lead when it has one, and respond when momentum swings the other way.
Kenny Atkinson and his stars are the ones who have to change the evidence. Evan Mobley needs more real offensive chances, especially when defenses load up on Cleveland’s guards.
Atkinson also has to know when his rotations and offensive plan are going sideways. And beyond that, the Cavaliers need a defensive identity that can hold up when things get messy instead of letting the game completely slip away.
The next stretch gives them chances to say something about themselves. Cleveland is set to face Oklahoma City twice, Philadelphia again and New York twice over its next 11 games. Those are the kinds of matchups that can either strengthen the case for the Cavaliers or keep the same doubts hanging over them.
They do not need Wilbon, Johnson or anybody else to hand them belief. They do need to understand why that belief is missing. A team with championship hopes can’t keep surrendering huge leads against quality opponents and expect people to trust it.
The Cavaliers have enough talent to hang with the East’s best. Whether they have the composure and discipline to beat them is still the question.
And they’re not going to talk their way out of that one. They have to prove it.
In Other News...
LeBron Nearly Returned To Cleveland And Cavs Fans Will Hate Why
LeBron James free-agency process briefly pulled Cleveland back into the conversation, and for Cavaliers fans, that alone is enough to reopen an old wound. He was weighing the Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers as possible landing spots before ultimately choosing Philadelphia, and the idea of a return to Northeast Ohio had real traction for a moment.
James acknowledged that Cleveland was seriously in the mix, even if he stopped short of digging into why the decision went the other way. Around the league, Bill Simmons and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson both suggested the Cavs believed they were on track to land him, which only adds to the frustration of a near miss that now reads like one of those what-could-have-been summers. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Tough Early Test They Can't Afford To Flunk
The Cavaliers did not get the clean start they wanted, and it showed in the kind of opener that can linger well beyond one night. Cleveland built a big lead against Philadelphia before the Sixers turned up the pressure and physicality, exposing some early issues for Kenny Atkinsons group in a loss that had enough turbulence to raise an eyebrow this early in the season.
For Brooklyn, the lesson is immediate. The Nets have already dropped their opener too, and now they draw a Cleveland team that can punish mistakes when Donovan Mitchell gets going, even as the Cavs sort through the adjustment of a new coach and a roster still settling into its roles. Clevelands defense remains the bigger marker, though, after Atkinson made clear his team did not handle Philadelphias ramped-up approach well. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Hezonja Is Already Testing How Clevelands Stars Will Respond
Mario Hezonja has already started settling into life with the Cavaliers, and his first few moments in a Cleveland uniform suggest he is comfortable enough to talk about fit as much as feel. After making his official debut, he has shown signs of acclimating well on and off the court, while also making it clear he sees a defined role for himself alongside the teams established core. His willingness to support the stars and talk about how he can complement them is an early sign that he understands the assignment.
The more interesting part is how Hezonja is already navigating the little flashpoints that come with joining a contender. A couple of on-court moments needed clarification, and he addressed them by explaining his mindset and intent. For Cleveland, the bigger question is not just whether Hezonja can blend in, but how smoothly the teams top players will adapt to a new voice and a new set of ideas around shared usage and spacing. [Read more 🡒]